


The ropes, reins, joys, and pains

by BestDeadFriendsForever



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Cowboys & Cowgirls, F/M, M/M, Rodeo AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:01:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29574291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BestDeadFriendsForever/pseuds/BestDeadFriendsForever
Summary: “Who the hell is that?” Buck asked as he watched the next performer settle himself in the chutes. He’d been so busy talking to Maddie after his run that he hadn’t been listening to what name had been called.Chimney snorted as if Buck had told a pretty funny joke before he glanced over at Buck and realized he was serious. His mouth dropped open and Buck was grossed out to be able to see the gum that Chimney had been snapping just to drive him nuts. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Chim looked over at where the gates were being pulled open and then back at Buck. “I know Maddie said you hadn’t been doing this long but I at least thought you’d watched-”“You going to answer or are you just going to keep being a dick?” Buck demanded. Chim flipped him off seamlessly before he shook his head.“That’s Eddie Diaz. Only one of the most famous cowboys on the circuit.”(aka the rodeo au that nobody wanted or asked for except me)
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Carla Price, Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz & Carla Price, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) & Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Eddie Diaz/Shannon Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Lena Bosko/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> So I've probably been listening to too much Garth Brookes in a fit of nostalgia, but it got me thinking about this and then when Buck Begins came out and we got cowboy Buck, I felt vindicated and was compelled to write this. Title inspired by the song Rodeo by Garth Brookes

Eddie grinned from his position up on the fence as he watched his buddy Judd taking his turn. It was a decent ride and he ended up walking away from it with only a slight limp from hitting the ground a little funny when he’d dismounted. The scores were called and Eddie stuck his fingers in his mouth to let out a shrill whistle in celebration for the good score.

“Hey there, cowboy,” a familiar voice called from behind him. “You’re almost up.” He turned his head a little to look over and see his wife- beaming at him fondly with their son on her hip- coming over to lean up against the fence beside him.

“Yeah, I know,” Eddie said and swung his legs back over the fence so he could hop down and stand beside her, at her level. “You gonna give me a kiss for good luck?” Eddie asked before wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her as close as he could without squishing Christopher between them.

“I think you’re just looking for an excuse to kiss me,” she said and smoothed her hand over his shirt, fiddling with his collar to get it to sit right.

“Maybe,” Eddie laughed and he grinned at her. When she just grinned back at him, he tipped his hat back away from his face so he could duck in and kiss her soundly. She was laughing a little against his mouth but Eddie didn’t care because he was smiling and laughing because of him. It made something warm settle in his chest as he pulled away, his name echoing over the announcement system. “Gotta go.”

“Be careful,” she said and smoothed her hand down his side as he pulled away, tugging his hat back down over his face.

“I’m always careful!” He shot back playfully over his shoulder as he made his way over to the chutes for his round in the arena.

…..

Eddie tried not to swear as he pressed his extra t-shirt against his face in an effort to stop the bleeding from his nose. The force of a particularly brutal buck had sent him farther forward then he’d meant and his nose has collided with the horse’s shoulder. He was sure that it was broken, but at least he’d made time and a decent score. Now he just needed to get the bleeding stopped before-

He didn’t even have time to complete his thought before he heard Shannon’s voice telling Judd- who’d been trying to help him get his nose under control though to little success- to let her through. Eddie looked up from where he’d ducked his head down to keep from swallowing as much blood as was currently gushing from his nose to see her coming forward with baby Christopher on her hip.

“Before you say anything-” Eddie started, his voice muffled by the shirt pressed to his face, but he didn’t get a chance to finish.

“How bad is it?” Shannon asked and gently touched the curve of Eddie’s jaw with her free hand.

“Probably broken,” Eddie said and carefully pulled the t-shirt away from his face. He quickly had to press it back to keep from getting blood all over her dress. She grimaced.

“Not probably, it’s definitely broken,” Shannon said and there was something in her eyes that Eddie hadn’t seen before. Eddie wasn’t sure how to feel about it, so he quickly diverted the subject to something safe: Christopher.

“Hey, buddy,” Eddie said and wiped his hand clean onto his jeans before catching one of Christopher’s flailing arms. At Eddie’s voice, Christopher seemed to recognize him and he let out a gurgle and flailed his arm a little more in Eddie’s grip.

“At least he’s not old enough to be scared,” Shannon said, but the joke seemed to fall flat a little.

“I’m okay, really,” Eddie assured her and he could feel that the bleeding was slowing down. He cautiously pulled the shirt away from his face and when the bleeding didn’t start up again, he wiped his face as best he could without being able to see, before tossing it aside and holding his arms out. “Though I’d be much better if I could hold my little man.”

Shannon rolled her eyes fondly, huffing a breathless laugh at him, before she carefully handed Christopher over so Eddie could hold him. “You’re cleaning the blood off his clothes,” she muttered as she noticed that there was likely little chance of it not transferring over from Eddie’s button-down.

“Sure thing,” Eddie said before taking his hat off and plopping it down onto Christopher’s little head. It slumped down over his eyes, but Christopher just shrieked with delighted laughter as he fumbled to try and push it up so he could see again. Eddie tipped it back and was rewarded with a gap-toothed smile. “What do you think, buddy? You wanna be a cowboy like Daddy?”

“I’m not sure my heart could take the strain,” Shannon said and leaned into Eddie’s side before gently keeping Christopher from tossing Eddie’s hat down into the muddy ground. “I think one cowboy in the family is enough.” She got on her toes and pressed a feather-light kiss to just beside Eddie’s nose. “Now let’s get you some ice.”

…..

Eddie grinned as he swung Christopher up into the air before pulling him close to his chest again. Christopher was a constant source of bright laughter and even brighter smiles. Though Shannon’s smile from where she’d passed Christopher off to him was a little strained around the edges.

Eddie pressed a smacking kiss to Christopher’s round cheek before walking over to Shannon and raising an eyebrow. “Everything okay?” Eddie asked and gently moved Christopher’s grabbing hands away from his face.

Shannon opened her mouth for a moment before she closed it, tears welling up in her eyes- which were so tired all of a sudden when had that happened- and choking off her words as she broke out into sobs.

When she was finally able to speak, she told him all about Christopher’s diagnosis and what that might mean and all Eddie could do was look at Christopher with a confused expression. Their son was just so perfect and amazing and now Shannon was telling him that something was seriously wrong. He couldn’t fit the two images together. Christopher was just… doing things at his own pace. There was nothing wrong with that. Right?

Once Christopher was down for his nap, Shannon gave him some of the pamphlets the doctor had given her and the same sort of fear that had choked him up in Afghanistan and had convinced him not to take a second tour and instead try something else as a way to pay the bills.

That night after Shannon was asleep, Eddie started looking into bigger rodeos with bigger prizes. He’d looked a little further into Christopher’s diagnosis and the more he read, the more he worried that the smaller circuit around El Paso wasn’t going to be enough to support the kind of care that Christopher was going to need. The only snag was that to go to those shows, he’d be travelling a lot and that meant he’d be away from Shannon and Christopher for a decent portion of the year.

He worked his jaw silently for a moment before he picked up his phone and decided to book a motel in Tucson where a big show was coming up in two weeks. The prize was big enough to justify the cost of having to drive out there- they didn’t have enough money for him to fly and it was a doable drive- and hopefully it would be enough to start saving for whatever was coming next with Christopher.

…..

Eddie hadn’t expected to be approached by a talent rep only two rodeos after that first big event in Tucson. He hadn’t expected to be approached at all if he were being honest with himself. He didn’t really think he was anything special. He was just doing this so he could provide for his kid. So when Lena Bosko came up to him and gave his hand a hearty shake before promptly offering to represent him, he hadn’t really known what to say.

She’d offered to take him out for a drink to discuss it and Eddie was still so stunned that he’d accepted. They talked for a while about why Eddie was doing this and Lena listened to him thoughtfully as he explained that his son had CP and that while this had been a sort of hobby before they’d found it, it’d quickly turned into a way of paying for whatever it was that Christopher needed: surgeries, therapies, whatever it was that Shannon wanted to try to help. She laid out the standard deal that she gave her talent and they haggled for a bit, but when both of them seemed to be happy, they’d shook hands and Eddie had found himself not having to deal with every little detail by himself.

Lena took care of booking the shows and where he would stay- though Eddie had insisted on staying as low-budget but actually livable as possible- while all Eddie had to do was focus on riding and giving the occasional interview. He didn’t think he was all that great- he was terrible with words and if he could get away with using as little as possible, he did- but Lena told him that the fans- which blew his mind that he had _fans_ \- ate it up. He quickly found himself getting sponsorships and winning more and more prizes that he could send home to Shannon and his seasonal record wasn’t half-bad. Things were good.

Until he got home.

He and Shannon had both always been stubborn and passionate people, but more often than not when Eddie was home, he was either battered or exhausted and Shannon’s attempts at roping him into doing things that weren’t just helping out around the house felt like he was being suffocated. They fought more than they ever had before and it almost always ended in either Eddie sleeping out on the coach for the night, or both of them sweaty, overstimulated, and willing to give it up for the moment and just go to sleep.

It became a routine then and one that they didn’t seem able to break out of.

Eddie would come home to an irritated Shannon and Christopher looking older and taller than Eddie remembered, despite the fact that Christopher wasn’t even quite four yet; he and Shannon would fight about whatever it was that time, ending in either angry sex or just angry words that Eddie was sure neither of them really meant; and then Eddie would do his best to be whatever it was that Shannon needed him to be before packing up and doing it all over again.

But as with everything, eventually… routines have to change.


	2. i

Buck grinned as he walked away from his pre-event interview with Taylor Kelly- Bobby hated it when he gave her interviews but it was part of the gig and Taylor seemed to like him most of the time so he didn’t mind- and into the locker room so that he could get changed into his event gear. It was packed with other performers and Buck grinned at the guys that he knew before tugging off his t-shirt and, without an ounce of shame, shucking off his street-jeans so he could tug on a slightly more durable pair and then his usual checked button-up. He was tucking his shirt in when he caught sight of a guy he’d never seen before slipping off a necklace- jewelry of any kind was either a hazard or at hazard of being lost- and tucking it into his duffel bag before tossing it into his locker and walking out brusquely. Buck wasn’t even sure what about him caught Buck’s attention, but he felt a warm shudder shake him as he remembered the intense look on the other’s face.

A hand clapping down onto his shoulder broke him out of thoughts of brooding eyes and dark hair. “Who’d you draw?” Chimney- a friend of his from when he first started and most recently his sister’s boyfriend- asked as he cocked a hip to lean against the row of lockers beside Buck’s.

“Genuine Risk,” Buck said and finished up tucking in his shirt so he could buckle his belt and then move onto his boots and check his spurs. Chim let out a short whistle before pushing away from the lockers.

“Not an easy ride,” Chim said and eyed Buck for a bit. Chimney had been on the circuit for a lot longer than Buck had and based on Chim’s own grumblings and Maddie’s increasingly worried grimaces, he was likely to retire before he got himself seriously injured. Buck would be genuinely disappointed to see him go. Chim had a lightness to him before going into the arena that kept Buck from getting into his own head too much and psyching himself out.

“No,” Buck said with a careless shrug, “but I’ll make it work.” Buck finished up with his clothes and then moved to bump his and Chim’s shoulders together. “What about you?”

“Spectacular Bid,” Chimney said with a shrug. “Not too worried about it. I’ve ridden him before and didn’t have that much trouble out of it.” The announcement system crackled to life and they both knew it was time to get out to the arena since both Chim and Buck’s rides were close to the beginning and they didn’t want to be late.

Buck tucked his hat onto his head securely before letting out a slow, measured breath and walking out to the familiar chaos of the rodeo arena. Even before the events began, there was a fine layer of dust kicked up in the air that gave everything a sort of hazy feel to it as the harsh artificial lights caught on the particles. There was the muffled hum of the crowd as everyone settled and the audible but indistinguishable chatter as the cowboys did their own pre-event rituals. Buck scanned the packed stands, looking for his sister, but after a while he gave up as he heard the first of the names being called and the events starting.

Buck heard his name being called and he hitched his jeans up a little before he made his way towards the chutes. His heart was hammering hard enough in his chest that he could hardly hear the crowd over it. He climbed up and settled himself as everyone else around him steadied the horse. He cut a glanced over to the man holding the chute’s gate closed and gave a short nod.

There was a flash of movement as the gate opened up and everyone who had been holding Genuine Risk steady pulled their hands away. Next was a suspended moment where the horse hadn’t come out of the chutes yet and Buck was just keeping his grip and making sure to mark up so he didn’t get a no-score. The rest of the ride was instinctual by now and Buck had to tune out everything around him except the motion of the horse beneath him as he held on with one hand on the rig and the other up in the air.

He heard the buzzer for time and it felt like only a second and an eternity both at once. He dismounted and made sure to get out of the way of the horse as the pickup rode in to keep him from getting trampled as he pulled himself up onto the fence. He grinned, his heart still hammering from the adrenaline, as he lifted his hat from his head to wave at the crowd and so he could push his sweat-damp hair back from his face. He looked over at the board and grinned at his score as it flashed in red: 83. He huffed out a breath, satisfied but knowing that he’d need to do better next time if he wanted to rank better than he had last season.

He was circling the arena fence so he could find a place to watch where he wouldn’t be in the way when he heard his sister’s familiar voice. “One of these days I’ll finally convince you to wear a helmet.” He turned and gave her a lopsided smile as she came up, Chim not far behind her.

Buck snorted as he held his arms out and she stepped into them for a tight hug. “No one wears a helmet, Mads,” he said as he rubbed her back and then pulled away. “Besides, it kind of ruins the whole look.” He knew that she was worried about him concussing himself, but he couldn’t help but tease her a little for it. She smacked his chest with a fond glare.

“I don’t think it’ll matter how you look when you crack your skull open,” Maddie muttered.

“Bother Chim, he’s old and feeble,” Buck said and shot Chim a playful look. Chim reached over Maddie and shoved Buck back by the chin, turning his head away as he broke out into a laugh.

“Watch it, Buckaroo. I can still whip your ass,” Chim said and glared at him hotly, though Buck knew it was all for show. Buck snorted at that but then he just turned to lean his elbows on top of the fencing, Maddie and Chim following suit, and he felt something in his chest twist as he noticed the next performer stalking over to the chutes. It was the guy who had caught his eye in the locker room. Buck couldn’t help but admire the tense line of the guy’s shoulders as he swung himself up onto the fence with a practiced sort of grace.

“Who the hell is that?” Buck asked as he watched the next performer settle himself in the chutes. He’d been so busy talking to both of them after his run that he hadn’t been listening to what name had been called.

Chimney snorted as if Buck had told a pretty funny joke before he glanced over at Buck and realized he was serious. His mouth dropped open and Buck was grossed out to be able to see the gum that Chimney perpetually had his mouth unless he was riding. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Chim looked over at where the gates were being pulled open and then back at Buck. “I know Maddie said you hadn’t been _doing_ this long but I at least thought you’d _watched_ -”

“You going to answer or are you just going to keep being a dick?” Buck demanded. Chim flipped him off seamlessly before he shook his head.

“That’s _Eddie Diaz_. Only one of the most famous cowboys on the circuit.” Buck vaguely thought he’d heard the name before, but he didn’t remember ever seeing him before. He was sure of that. On reflex, he shifted on his feet and took a more defensive stance.

“If he’s famous, why have I never seen him before?” Buck asked and he sounded a lot more cocky than he felt, his stomach squirming a little like when he was a kid and was unsure.

Chim simply snorted a little at Buck’s attitude before shuffling so that he was a little closer and wouldn’t have to talk as loudly. “At the end of the season two years back- before you were on the circuit, obviously- towards the end, he took a nasty fall at the end of his run. Nearly broke his collarbone, though he ended up with a broken elbow and a dislocated shoulder instead. So he was benched and didn’t finish up the last two runs of the season. Rumor has it,” Chim started and Buck couldn’t help but crack the smallest smile because of course it came down to rumors- Chim would never admit to it, but he _thrived_ on the gossip that constantly surrounded the circuit- “but when he got back home, his wife had up and left him.”

Both Maddie and Buck grimaced in sympathy.

“And not just him,” Chim said and leaned in with a gravity to his expression that he rarely work, “their kid too. So he took last season off to figure out how to take care of his kid all by himself while juggling his career.”

“Damn,” Buck muttered lowly and turned back to where there seemed to have been some hold-up, Eddie Diaz still sitting in the chutes with that steely determination in his face. There was a shuffled around the chutes and then the gate was flying open and both Eddie Diaz and the bronc underneath him were flying out in a frenzy of motion.

Buck watched every move intently as the other performer executed his ride and Buck couldn’t help but be impressed and jealous all at the same time. He was good. Really good. When the buzzer sounded, Eddie’s dismount was nearly flawless and he quickly hopped up onto the fence. He didn’t grin and show off to the crowd like most of the other cowboys did, just swung his long legs over the fence and waited for his score to come up, eyes fixed only on the board. Once the score came up- a truly impressive 91- he hopped down from the fence before stalking off with that same stomping gait he’d had before.

“I think Buck’s in love,” Maddie’s teasing tone broke Buck out of his study and he looked over at her with a flat look.

“Gonna go get changed. Good luck, Chim,” Buck said and clapped a hand down on Chimney’s shoulder before heading towards the locker room. He hadn’t quite made it there yet, between the foot traffic and the trailers transporting the horses to and from the chutes it was chaotic to the say the least, when he spotted a kid pretty much in the middle of it all. He was leaning against the fence and into elbow crutches, but even there he could get hurt. Buck held up a hand to an approaching car and quickly darted over to the kid before crouching down. “Hey, buddy,” Buck said with a careful voice as he glanced around to make sure that the boy’s parents weren’t just to the side or something. Nobody was around.

“Hi,” the boy said and gave Buck a bright smile.

“My name’s Buck,” Buck started, about to ask where the kid’s parents were when he stuck out his hand.

“I’m Christopher.” Buck felt a smile tugging at his mouth as he took the kid’s hand and shook it.

“Hey, Christopher. Where’s your mom? You look a little lost.” The boy just shrugged and Buck bit his lip. “What about-”

But before Buck could finish, the kid was brightening up even more and waving wildly at something over Buck’s shoulder. “Daddy!” Christopher called and Buck turned a little so he could see who Christopher was talking to and walk him over if need be. His heart nearly stopped as he realized that Eddie Diaz was coming over with a face like thunder.

“Shit,” Buck muttered under his breath before he stood up.

“That’s a bad word,” Christopher said reproachfully before Eddie was close enough. The second that he was, Christopher was throwing his arms around his dad’s waist and Buck couldn’t help but crack another smile. Until his eyes traveled up and met Eddie’s. He swallowed thickly at having those hazel eyes- intense and Buck couldn’t help but feel a little weak at being pinned under his stare- fixed on him.

“What have I said about wandering off from Carla? And talkin’ to strangers?” Eddie asked and his gaze finally left Buck to look down with concern etched into his features as he looked down at his son.

“This is Buck. We shook hands and everythin’,” Christopher said and there was a slight twang in his voice that Eddie’s didn’t seem to have as much of. Eddie let out a slightly exasperated breath and Buck cut in.

“I’m sorry, I just saw him all by himself- and right in the middle of all this-” Buck said and gestured around helplessly. “I didn’t want him to get hurt.”

Eddie’s jaw worked for a moment and then he nodded silently. “Thanks,” he muttered gruffly and smoothed a hand over Christopher’s head in a protective sort of gesture.

“No problem,” Buck said and awkwardly tucked his hands into his back pockets. He ducked his head a little and started to walk off towards the locker rooms.

“Bye, Buck!” Christopher shouted and Buck turned to look over his shoulder and see Christopher grinning and waving at him wildly from where Eddie had lifted him up.

Buck turned, walking backwards expertly, and gave Christopher an answering wave. “Bye, buddy!”

Eddie’s face was twisted up in obvious confusion as he started to carry his son in the other direction- probably back to whoever Carla was- and Buck ducked into the locker rooms. He stripped out of his event clothes and redressed in fresh street clothes before plunking his hat back onto his head and going to meet up with Maddie and Chimney- if he wasn’t riding yet- so they could all head out together for dinner with Bobby afterwards.

…..

“What the hell did you say to Eddie Diaz?” Bobby asked from where he was standing just outside a corner booth, his wife Athena already settled at the table.

“Hi, Bobby. It’s nice to see you too,” Buck said sarcastically. “Oh me? Nothing much. Ride was good, got an 83.” Bobby rolled his eyes.

“You made your point, Buck,” Athena said with a stern look.

“But what did you say to Eddie Diaz?” Bobby asked again and there was an iron in his voice that he hardly ever used. Buck settled into the booth, Maddie and Chim sliding in as well with curious looks on their faces. He hadn’t mentioned his little run-in with Eddie.

“Nothing,” Buck muttered and picked at the corner of the menu where the laminate was starting to come apart.

“It sure doesn’t look like nothing,” Bobby said and slid his work tablet over so that Buck’s half of the booth could see it. It was Taylor Kelly’s blog spot- technically under a pseudonym but everyone in the rodeo circuit knew that she was the one that ran the online tabloid- with a giant picture of Eddie and Buck facing off from each other. Eddie’s face looked even more pissed than he had in person and with the cropping and angle of the photo, you couldn’t see Christopher at all. So it looked like a pissing match between the two of them on one of the first nights of the season.

Buck groaned and tipped his hat down to cover his face. “I hate my life,” he muttered before he straightened up and looked at Bobby sheepishly. “It’s not what it looks like. I was heading back to the locker room to change into my street clothes and I saw a kid all by himself near the loading and unloading dock. Was worried he was going to get hurt so I started talking to him to figure out where his parents were. Turns out it was Eddie’s son and he was worried about some stranger talking to his kid. That’s all. I swear.”

Bobby’s shoulders were still tense for a moment but then he nodded and let out a sigh. “There’s gonna be a PR storm around the pair of you now. Everyone’s going to be convinced that you two hate each other and you know sports fans and their obsession around rivalries.”

Buck just grumbled and slunk down into his seat a little. Athena smoothed her hand over his shoulder as soothingly as she could. Maddie let out a short little laugh and Buck tipped his head to give his sister a tight-lipped frown. “I’m sorry, Buck. It’s just- it’s a little funny.”

That seemed to break the tension and the rest of dinner seemed to pass without the pall that had been hanging around since Bobby had asked his first question. Buck made his way to his hotel and when he couldn’t sleep, he rolled over and scooped up his phone. He opened up his browser and typed in a few keywords: Eddie Diaz, rodeo.

Instead of sleeping, Buck spent the next couple of hours watching old tapes of Eddie riding alongside interview footage until his eyes got that tired sort of itchy feeling and he had to lock his phone and get some sleep. The small, lopsided smile that he’d seen Eddie crack in a few interviews was burned into his brain and featured in snippets of his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's Buck! He and Eddie are obviously off to a great start. Let me know what you think- and please be gentle because I'm not a rodeo rider and I'm working on making this as realistic as possible though the focus of the whole fic isn't just going to be that- I promise.  
> -James


	3. ii

“Lena-” Eddie groaned into the phone as he pressed it between his cheek and his shoulder as he worked on trying desperately not the burn the pancakes that Christopher had all but begged him for.

“It’s a big deal, Eddie,” Lena’s annoyed voice filtered through the phone.

“It really isn’t. It wasn’t at all what they tried to make it out to be. Do you really think I’d put my career on the line to have some pissing match-?”

“Bad word!” Christopher called from where he’d been taking the bowl of fruit that Eddie had cut up for him from the counter over to the table.

“Sorry, Superman,” Eddie apologized with a wince before going back to his conversation with Lena. “-with some guy I’ve never even heard of before?”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Lena sighed. “Listen, I’m just looking out for you. Buck may be someone you don’t know, but the fans know him, and they love him. Act like an asshole to him and they’re gonna turn on you. Which means you can kiss those sponsorships goodbye.”

Eddie grimaced and then flipped the pancake in the pan in front of him. It was- well golden brown _wasn’t_ what it was but it wasn’t charcoal so Eddie would just let Christopher have a little more syrup than normal. “Alright, Lena. I know you’re just lookin’ out, and I appreciate it. Call me back when you’ve got the details for Houston, okay?”

“See you later, Eddie.” She hung up and Eddie tossed his phone onto the counter before finishing up with the pancake batter and turning the stove off. He carried the plate into the dining room where Christopher was sitting, flipping through one of his comic books contentedly.

Even after a year of taking care of Christopher on his own, his stomach still twisted up nervously when it was just the two of them. He hadn’t been around for so much of Chris’s life and he sometimes wondered if he had a place in it at all. He also wondered if that was really how he felt or if it was just his parents’ not-so-subtle hints that he was a shitty father starting to get to him.

“Here are the pancakes,” Eddie said and settled them so that Christopher could reach them. “Comic book away, please, _mijo_. We don’t want a repeat of what happened with _Spider-Man_.” Christopher had accidentally knocked over his cup and orange juice had splattered all over his second-favorite superhero. He’d nearly had a meltdown and Eddie had spent the next hour and a half with Shannon’s old hair dryer trying to fix the book when Christopher insisted that they couldn’t just get him a replacement. Some of the panels were still a little orange and sticky.

Christopher nodded and closed the comic book before taking it over to the counter so it wouldn’t get anything on it.

“How many do you want?” Eddie asked and nodded down at the plate.

“I can do it,” Christopher said and picked up his fork. Eddie chewed his lip and then nodded. Carla had encouraged him to listen to when Christopher set boundaries regarding his own independence. He was trying to, it was just hard sometimes to see Christopher struggle with things that Eddie knew he could help him with. His hands were a little wobbly, but he managed to fork two pancakes onto his plate. Eddie grinned back when Christopher beamed at him with obvious pride at having done it all by himself.

“After breakfast, we’re gonna do our workout, alright?” Eddie asked and Christopher nodded. Eddie felt a sense of pride coursing through him at the way that Christopher just accepted what he needed to do- though Eddie knew it was hard for him- without complaining. It was impressive even in adults, let alone a six-year-old.

They finished up their breakfast and Eddie gathered up the dishes so that Christopher could go and roll out the mat that they used to keep him from getting wood burn on his chin or his stomach. He blew out a soft breath before he stretched his arms out in front of him, testing the ache in his shoulder, before he headed out. “Let’s do this,” Christopher said and gave Eddie a grin from where he was sitting on the floor in the living room.

“Let’s do this,” Eddie said and ruffled Christopher’s hair.

They both had their PT routines- Christopher for his CP and Eddie for his shoulder injury- and when Eddie finished with his dexterity exercises, he worked on his normal workout while Christopher moved on to the next part of his PT.

Eddie wiped the sweat from his forehead from where he was holding a plank and he turned his head to see where Christopher was laying on his stomach next to him and lifting his arms and legs. “Good job, Superman,” Eddie said and his breathing wavered a little and he tried- and failed- not to wobble, but Christopher saw it anyway and laughed at him.

“Needs work, Daddy,” Christopher said and Eddie snorted a little before relaxing and just laying on his stomach. He waited until Christopher had done the same before he flipped Christopher on his back to tickle his sides. Christopher shrieked with laughter, his legs curling up towards his stomach a little as he tried to push Eddie’s hands away, and Eddie couldn’t help but grin as well. They were so busy laughing and, in Christopher’s case, begging for mercy, that they didn’t hear the door open and shut.

“What’re you two doin’ on the floor?” Carla asked and Eddie twisted to look at where she was smiling at the pair of them.

“Just… workin’ out,” Eddie said almost sheepishly.

“I didn’t know tickling counted as working out,” Carla said and shook her head fondly.

“Daddy’s just mad because he almost fell over,” Christopher said breathlessly before he rolled over to flop across Eddie’s back. Eddie reached behind himself to pat the backs of Christopher’s legs.

“I think,” Eddie said and poked at Christopher’s calf, “that it’s time for you to get washed up and dressed.” Christopher whined and Eddie just poked him a little more. “C’mon. Let’s get to it.” Eddie needed to check in with his parents and then check the initial reporting for his stats.

Christopher huffed, but he pushed himself up and shuffled over to his crutches so he could slip his arms into them before heading down to his room to pick out his clothes. “Seems like you’re getting on alright,” Carla said as she moved to perch on the arm of the couch. Eddie pushed his hair from his eyes and nodded, though he still felt the familiar self-doubt creeping up. “Eddie, you _are_.” Eddie let out a soft breath and he felt a little bit of the reassurance in her tone actually start to slip through the cracks.

“Thanks, Carla. I really appreciate you looking out for him. I know it’s a lot-” Eddie pitched his voice low but Carla just held up her hand to stop him.

“Don’t even mention it. You just focus on what you need to do for right now and I’ll make sure Christopher’s getting what he needs.” Eddie felt a lump forming in his throat and he nodded silently before pushing himself up off of the floor.

…..

Eddie tried to be as unfazed as he usually was but with Christopher holding onto him a little tighter than he normally would, it was hard to. “I’m gonna be back before you can even miss me,” Eddie said and pressed another consoling kiss to Christopher’s cheek. He rubbed Christopher’s back and gently pulled back, though Christopher’s hands were still fisted in the shoulders of his jacket.

“I always miss you,” Christopher said with such sincerity that Eddie thought his heart was going to shatter.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Carla said softly and knelt down next on the porch next to him. “Your dad’s going to be back before you know it- and we can even watch his rides on TV. I promise.”

Christopher didn’t cry, but his lower lip wobbled a little as he eased his grip on Eddie’s shoulders and then slowly pulled away to lean into Carla’s shoulder. Eddie winced as Christopher turned his face into her neck and she pet his hair.

_Go on_ , she mouthed and Eddie swallowed thickly before he nodded and stood up. He brushed his hands off on his jeans before he lifted up his duffle and made his way over to the truck. He tossed his bag into the back seat before he swung himself into the driver’s seat. He pulled out of the driveway and it was like his body was on autopilot, driving wherever it was that the GPS told him to.

He’d made the drive to Houston a ton of times, but never had it felt as long as it had after seeing Christopher’s trembling lower lip and pulling away from his clinging hands.

…..

Eddie tried not to let the tension from his and Chris’s terrible parting bleed into his work, but it was hard to. He squared his shoulders before he ran the brim of his hat through his thumb and index finger so that he could tug it down over his eyes. He’d drawn a horse called Reckless Stranger- one he hadn’t ridden before so he wasn’t sure what to expect- and his time was closer to the end of the night.

He made his way out to the arena to watch some of the other cowboys that night, and he couldn’t help but look out for anyone that he recognized. He noticed Judd, Grace leaning into his side from where his arm was draped over her shoulders, and nodded to him from his position at the fence. Judd just cracked a small smile before nodding back. Eddie blew out a soft breath and he found Chimney in the crowd as well as his agent, Bobby Nash. He and Bobby were acquainted only through other people and had never really had a full conversation but they were friendly enough when they crossed paths. Not far from where Bobby and Chim where in conversation were Athena, Bobby’s formidable wife, and a lady with brown hair that Eddie didn’t know. Beside her, chewing his thumbnail, was Buck. The cowboy that had been talking to Chris- and that Lena insisted he make nice with.

The guy wasn’t that much younger than Eddie was, probably no more than three years younger if Eddie had to put a guess to it, but he seemed a lot younger than that. Something about the way he was fidgety and always seemed to be watching with wide eyes. Eyes that were a really pretty blue, if Eddie remembered rightly since there was no way he could tell from that distance with the fading light and Buck’s hat shading his face. Eddie blinked, unsure of where _that_ particular thought had come from, before feeling the back of his neck getting hot as he realized that Buck was staring right back at him.

He felt something in his gut swoop like he was a teenager again, but he pushed it away and forced himself to drag his eyes back to where the events were starting. He felt his mind drifting back to Christopher’s crumbled face from when he’d left and he shut his eyes for a moment to try and dispel it. He grimaced as shutting his eyes had only seemed to make it worse.

“Hey.” Eddie’s eyes snapped open and he turned to see that Buck had- at some point when he’d had his eyes closed- wandered over to lean his hip against the fence next to him. “I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Buck said and he reached up to rub the back of his neck. Eddie was surprised to hear there wasn’t a trace of any of the accents that were typical of the rodeo circuit. There was no drawl, twang, or syrupy sound to Buck’s voice.

“Yeah, I think we did,” Eddie said and gave Buck a sheepish look. “I’m sorry about that, actually. I can be pretty protective of Christopher…” Eddie trailed off awkwardly and tucked his hands into his pockets.

Buck just nodded understandingly, his thumbs tucked into his belt and giving him an even more casual air than just the cocked hip had. But Eddie could tell from his face that he was invested in what they were talking about, and it almost startled him. “I’m sure I would have done the same if I had a kid. I just wanted to come and talk and make sure we’re good,” Buck said and gestured between them with one of his fingers before tucking it back into his belt.

“’Course,” Eddie said and nodded.

“And to make it up to you-” Buck started but Eddie waved it off.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to,” Buck said and gave Eddie a grin. Eddie’s mouth suddenly felt dry and he wondered why the hell he was acting like an idiot all of a sudden. “Let me buy you a beer? Or whatever it is you drink. Or if you don’t drink, let me buy you dinner.”

“A beer would be great,” Eddie said with a soft huff of laughter at Buck’s rambling.

“Great. I’ll- uh- I’ll see you after then.”

“Sure thing,” Eddie said and couldn’t help but feel a smile tugging at his mouth. “Good luck.”

“You too,” Buck said and he practically bounced away. Eddie shook his head a little and when someone else took up the spot Buck had just been in, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He settled when he saw it was only Lena.

“What was that?” Lena asked with an amused twist to her voice.

“What do you mean?” Eddie asked, snapping back into a defensive sort of stance- not realizing how much he’d been opening up and leaning into Buck as they spoke.

“You and Buck,” she said and glanced over to where Bobby and Buck were talking, Chim making his way towards the chutes for his ride. “Seemed like you two were actually getting along,” Lena teased and poked at his arm. Eddie scowled at her, but his scowls had long ago started to lose any and all effectiveness.

“He was just clearing the air about other night,” Eddie shrugged. “Making sure there was no bad blood. Which there isn’t.” Lena hummed and Eddie folded his arms on the fence before perching his chin on his arms. Both of them were watching Chim’s ride without looking at the other. He squirmed a little restlessly before he spoke again. “Asked me to grab a beer actually.”

Lena looked over at him suddenly, a frown on her face. “Why?”

“He said it was to make it up to me,” Eddie said and forced his shrug to look casual. Though he was sure that Lena would see right through it. “Besides,” Eddie said, expertly turning all of it onto Lena so she would stop _looking_ at him like that, “you’re the one that said I needed to fix the image of there being bad blood between us. No one can say we hate each other’s guts when we’re going out for drinks together afterwards.”

Lena grumbled a little. “I did.”

“So there’s nothing to worry about,” Eddie said and bumped their shoulders.

“I wouldn’t say _that_ ,” Lena mumbled, but Eddie wasn’t about to rise to her bait and ask her what that was supposed to mean. He just focused back in on the rides that were happening and on keeping his mind on his own upcoming ride.

When Buck’s name was called over the announcement system, he ducked in to press a kiss to the brown-haired lady’s cheek- something about that making Eddie’s stomach twist up painfully- before sauntering over to the chutes. There was a cockiness in Buck’s whole demeanor and Eddie couldn’t help but shake his head a little at it. It was weird to see that and try and pair it with the sort of awkward exchange they’d just had only a while before.

Buck’s ride was obviously tough if the determination and concentration during the ride and then grimace after he’d dismounted with a slight hitch to his step were anything to go by. He pulled himself up and over the fence and looked over his shoulder to the board where his score should flash. It took a moment longer than normal, but then the numbers came up in red: 72. Eddie winced in sympathy. It could have been worse, but it was still going to put a dent into Buck’s average unless he made a much higher score to make up for it later. Part of Eddie wanted to go over and say something to Buck- he didn’t know what and he probably would have just come out looking like a total ass if he even tried- but he shook it off. They barely knew each other and that would have been weird to say the least.

Lena clapped him on the shoulder when his name was called and Eddie made his way to the chutes to climb onto the fence and then onto the horse’s back. He got himself settled and- without really understanding why- he glanced out over to where he’d seen Buck go to lean against the fence after his own ride. Their eyes seemed to catch and Eddie felt, for the first time in a long time, nerves kick up. Not nerves about the risks and dangers- those were still there he wasn’t an idiot but he’d learned to tune them out a long time ago- but nerves about how he looked. He swallowed thickly and forced his eyes back down to where his hand was in the rigging. He adjusted his grip before nodding so the gate would open.

…..

Eddie smoothed a hand through his hair with a scowl as he brushed the dirt from his hat. He hung it up on the edge of his locker door before he unbuttoned his shirt. His ride hadn’t necessarily been bad, but he wasn’t happy with it. “Rough ride?”

Eddie lifted his head to see Buck leaning against the locker next to his, sans shirt. Eddie’s eyes flicked down and he felt his face getting hot before he forced himself to only look at Buck’s face. “Yeah a little,” Eddie said before nodding at Buck. “Though it wasn’t as bad as yours.” Eddie winced after a second as he realized how that came out. But it didn’t seem to bother Buck as he huffed out a laugh.

“Tell me what you really think, Eddie,” Buck snorted and shook his head, grinning up at him through his lashes.

“That’s- not what I meant,” Eddie said and pushed his hand through his hair with an awkward grin. “I just meant, you looked like you had a rough go. That’s all.”

“Little bit,” Buck said with a shrug and he shifted his weight to one leg, trying to keep it off of his left leg. “But nothing that I’m not used to.” Eddie hummed and he stripped off his button-down so that he could tug his t-shirt on. He glanced over at Buck and Buck’s eyes were tracking down his chest. He felt something almost like a cold chill, but hot instead of cold, run through him.

“Go get dressed and let’s get a drink,” Eddie said and nudged Buck’s ribs with his elbow. Buck nodded and he grinned before he headed off to his locker to finished getting dressed. Eddie tossed his stuff into his duffle bag before pulling it onto his shoulder and tucking his hat onto his head as he kicked the locker shut.


	4. iii

Eddie stretched out his legs in front of him, trying not to bump Buck’s legs- which he could tell were sore from his ride. They’d ordered a pair of beers and Buck was picking at the label of his with his thumb as he stared down at the table.

Needless to say, it was awkward.

Eddie cleared his throat after setting his bottle onto the table and Buck’s head snapped up to look at Eddie with wide blue eyes. A jolt went through Eddie at how bright they were and he forced himself to not just continue staring at him. “So where’re you from?” Eddie had been wondering ever since he’d really paid attention to the way that Buck spoke.

“Oh, uh- Hershey. Hershey, PA,” Buck said and smoothed a hand through his hair. Eddie tracked the movement with his eyes and quirked the tiniest of smiles as he noticed the endearing way that Buck’s hair curled at the temples.

“Huh,” Eddie said, ineloquently as always.

“Yup,” Buck said and it seemed almost unconscious the way he popped his ‘p’ as he looked away with a slight frown.

“How’d you get into the circuit? Don’t know a lot about Pennsylvania, but I don’t imagine there’s as much of a rodeo presence as down South.” Eddie scratched at the corner of his eyebrow and Buck looked back at him.

“Yean, not really,” Buck said and shrugged. “I left Hershey after I… well, I left,” Buck hedged and winced a little at whatever it was that he’d kept himself from saying, “and I travelled for a while. Just trying to figure out what I wanted to do next. Ended up on a ranch further out West.” Buck shrugged slightly as if it weren’t a huge deal to just up and leave your hometown- something Eddie hadn’t done even though he travelled. “Couple of the guys that I met working there were into it and thought I’d be good at it. Or maybe they thought it’d be funny to laugh at the yuppie when he tried it out.” Buck snorted a little and Eddie found himself grinning. “But I was decent at it and so I tried a few local shows. I met Chim and Chim introduced me to Bobby who thought I might have a shot at being big so he signed me on for a probationary season. That was last season.” Eddie nearly sprayed beer from his nose at the casual way that Buck said it.

“Wait,” Eddie said after he’d managed to swallow without choking himself. “You’ve only been doing this for… a season and a half?” Eddie could hardly believe what he was hearing.

Buck’s cheeks turned pink and he ducked his head as if he were embarrassed. “Uh… yeah. Pretty much, yeah. This’ll be my second year on the circuit.”

“Sonuvabitch,” Eddie muttered under his breath and shook his head. “I mean… goddamn, Buck.” To say that Eddie was impressed was an understatement. It’d taken him more than a full year of the bigger shows after his local circuit years to feel like he’d really hit his stride and gotten good at what he did. For Buck to be making the scores he was making after such a short time- it was… well it was kind of _hot_ actually.

Buck grinned and the blush that had colored his cheeks only seemed to deepen under Eddie’s praise. “Thanks. Means a lot coming from you. I mean- to hear everyone talking about you… you’re sort of _it_ on the rodeo circuit.” Eddie waved his hand but Buck shook his head. “I’m serious. Chim thought I was a total idiot for not having heard of you before.”

“I’ve just been around a while.” Eddie pushed his hair back away from his face again before taking a thoughtful sip of his beer, finishing off his bottle. “I knew Bobby had an eye for talent, but I bet even he’s pattin’ himself on the back.” Eddie’s accent- which was a mix of a sort of twangy Texan accent alongside the influence of his father’s slight Mexican one- was slipping through the more comfortable he got with Buck, shocking himself at how easily they were starting to fit together.

“Bobby’s… Bobby’s great.” Eddie could tell that Buck meant a whole lot more when he said that. There was something about the softness in his eyes when he said it. Eddie just hummed and something about the conversation made him think back to when Buck had kissed that lady before heading into the chutes. He told himself he was just curious, but he knew that it was just his way of trying to shut down any sort of emotional stuff before it could start.

“Your girlfriend must be proud too,” Eddie said and was proud that he didn’t sound too strained in saying it. He almost wished he hadn’t finished his beer so that he could hide his face by taking a drink. But Buck’s nose just wrinkled up in confusion- distantly, Eddie thought it was pretty adorable.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Buck said and Eddie’s heart did a flip in his chest.

“Oh- I just- I thought the lady- _woman_ \- that was with you at the arena…” Eddie suddenly felt stupid for assuming.

“Maddie?” Buck let out a short laugh. “No, Maddie’s not my girlfriend. She’s my sister. She comes with me when she can because one, she’s a worrier and always has been since we were kids, and two, she’s a nurse. She seems to think that I can’t decide when to go to the hospital or not by myself.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t,” Eddie snorted and then he pulled a face. Buck just grinned back easily, not seeming to be offended at all by Eddie’s comment.

“Well… maybe sometimes,” Buck admitted. He fell quiet for a moment, going back to picking at the label on his bottle before he seemed to pluck up the courage to speak again. Eddie reflexively tensed, waiting for the questions about his own personal life to start up, but Buck just leaned forward a little, his forearms on the table and on full display which was _distracting_ , so that he could talk quietly over the ambient hum of the full bar around them. “You want to get out of here? I- my motel’s just down the block.” Buck nodded towards the door and Eddie’s whole body felt hot all over at the sudden proposition.

“I’m sorry, _what_?” Eddie’s voice came out sharper than he meant it to, but Buck had caught him completely off-guard with the question. Buck pulled a face and then shifted back so that they weren’t so close together anymore.

“I thought- oh- I thought we were… flirting. Or something. Um, if I read it wrong-” Buck was suddenly back to that coltish sort of awkwardness and Eddie pulled a face at himself for doing that. They’d been having a good time.

“I don’t know,” Eddie said honestly, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m not- Buck…” Eddie sighed and slumped down in his seat a little, hesitantly letting his foot bump up against Buck’s ankle under the table. “I’m not good at this.”

“Okay,” Buck said and let the word stretch out a little as he obviously tried to figure out his next move or what Eddie meant by that. “I’m not saying that we’ve got to get married next week,” Buck pointed out. “I just thought we could… I don’t know, see where it went.”

“I can’t just fall into bed with you. I’ve got a kid,” Eddie said firmly and Buck tilted his head a little, obviously confused.

“Is he with you?”

“No,” Eddie admitted and chewed his lip.

“Then why does he have to know right away? I just-” Buck made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. “Listen, I like you, Eddie. And I want to know you, and I just thought that might be _easier_ -”

“If we slept together?” Eddie asked with a frown.

“ _No_.” Buck scowled at him. “It might be easier if we weren’t in a room full of people that know our faces.”

Eddie blinked owlishly at him and opened and shut his mouth for a moment. He glanced around the bar and he suddenly realized just how many people were glancing in their direction with recognition in their faces. “Oh…” Buck seemed to relax a little when he realized that Eddie had been completely oblivious to the attention they were both getting.

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re _super_ hot,” Buck started and Eddie felt his face burning and he knocked his foot against Buck’s ankle to get him to stop. Buck just grinned at him.

“Shut up,” Eddie muttered and shook his head.

“We could just go for a walk or something,” Buck offered instead, almost as if he were trying to take the pressure off of his previous offer.

Eddie nodded and he quirked a small smile. “Yeah. A walk would be good. Just-” Eddie glanced at his watch. “Just let me call Christopher. I always call him before bedtime.”

“Sure thing,” Buck said. “I’m just going to head to the bathroom, but I’ll meet you outside.” Buck tugged his wallet out of his pocket and left enough money to cover their tab and a tip for the waitress before standing. Eddie stood up as well before brushing his hands off on his jeans and ducking out of the bar and into the sticky night air.

…..

“I looked like you were like twenty feet in the air!” Christopher chattered excitedly into Eddie’s ear as Eddie leaned against the brick of the building. “You were flying! Like- Like Superman!”

“You think so?” Eddie asked and he felt a radiant sort of joy in his chest as Christopher assured him that Eddie was _just like_ his favorite superhero. “Alright, bud,” Eddie said and he hated to have to go, but Buck had been patiently waiting for nearly five minutes now as he talked with Christopher about his day and what Chris had thought about his ride that night. “It’s past your bedtime and I need to go. I’ll be back sometime tomorrow and we can talk more. How’s that sound?”

“Good,” Christopher said and Eddie shifted his shoulders. “I love you, Daddy. Night.”

“Love you too, Chris,” Eddie said and he heard a slight scuffle as Christopher must have handed the phone back to Carla.

“We’ll see you tomorrow, Eddie. Drive safe and all that,” Carla said and even though Eddie knew she couldn’t see him, he nodded.

“I will. See you guys tomorrow.” He pulled the phone from his ear and tapped his thumb against the button to end the call. “Sorry,” he said a little sheepishly as he noticed the way Buck was just watching him steadily.

“Don’t be. It’s sweet,” Buck said and then nodded over his shoulder. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” Eddie said and tucked his phone into his back pocket.

…..

Eddie shoved his hands into his pockets as they shuffled along the walkway. They’d found a nearby park and decided to take a walk there since it wasn’t likely for people to be around. But that did leave them alone together.

“So,” Buck said and glanced over at Eddie from the corner of his eye. “Is your son really the reason you don’t date?”

Eddie shrugged. “It’s different when you have a kid.” And of course it was hard to think about dating when you were reeling from your wife walking out at the same time as struggling to keep your head above water with a kid that you didn’t know how to take care of on your own. That in all honesty, was a kid he’d hardly known before the year he’d taken off.

Buck hummed softly and the silence that fell between them was still stilted, but somehow less awkward than it had been before. “You know,” Buck started and an endearing flush colored his cheeks as he ducked his head slightly, “I watched some of your old tapes actually.”

Eddie didn’t know why, but it made him grin to hear how sheepishly Buck admitted to having watched him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Buck said and Eddie couldn’t help but feel something syrup-y settle in his stomach at the half-drawl that seemed to drag in Buck’s voice when he was unsure. “I felt stupid that I hadn’t heard of your or even really seen you ride so… and now I feel a little like a stalker saying it out loud.”

“Is that why you wanted to get me away from the populated bar?” Eddie asked teasingly and Buck let out a bright burst of laughter that made that syrup-y feeling in Eddie’s stomach get even heavier.

“Well damn, you’ve caught me,” Buck said and held up his hands before he settled them into his pockets. Eddie couldn’t help but continue to grin a little at him as he watched him as they walked. Their shoulders brushed and Eddie swallowed thickly as his arm broke out into goosebumps at the electricity that coursed down his arm. His hands itched to take Buck’s but he forced himself to settle for just letting the backs of their hands brush occasionally.

…..

They ended up back in the parking lot not too long after- both of them had long legs that ate up the short trail- and just stood there leaning back against the side of Eddie’s truck. Eddie caught sight of his watch and he bit his lip. “I… I better go, it’s gettin’ late and I-”

“Have to hit the road to get home to Christopher. It’s all good,” Buck said and pushed himself off of the side so that he could hip into the passenger seat. Eddie quirked another small grin before he opened up the door and swing himself up into the driver’s seat. “What’s your next event?” Buck asked once Eddie had started the truck and was on the way back to the bar to pick up Buck’s Jeep.

“I’m plannin’ on doin’ a local one in El Paso,” Eddie said as he focused on driving. “I’m trying not to be away as often for Christopher.” Eddie reached up and scratched the back of his neck. “And school’s gonna start up for him soon.”

“Maybe I’ll see you there. Depends on what Bobby’s got planned,” Buck said and he shifted so that he was looking at Eddie more straight-on. “Actually, I _hope_ to see you there.” When Eddie glanced at Buck from the corner of his eye, Buck looked so endearingly awkward and boyish.

“Yeah,” Eddie said and he hated how lame and uninvested he sounded. “Yeah, I hope so too.” He glanced over and shot him a grin. He turned his blinker on and turned into the parking lot of the bar before settling into one of the far parking spots. Eddie shifted in his seat so that he could give Buck a grin. “I really appreciated tonight. It’s- it’s been a while since I’ve just gone out after an event or in general.” It should have been embarrassing to admit, but somehow with Buck he knew that he wasn’t going to be judged.

“Well, anytime,” Buck said and he unclipped his seat belt. “I’ll… I’ll see you later, Eddie.” Buck gave him a soft smile and Eddie had no idea what possessed him, but he put a hand out onto Buck’s thigh to stop him from getting out of the truck.

Eddie’s mouth felt dry and it felt like the moment stretched out forever as Eddie’s brain scrambled for what the hell he’d thought he was doing. He felt like his heart was beating too loud in his chest and when he swallowed, that there was no way that Buck didn’t hear it. His hand shook a little, but before he lost all of his nerve he decided to just go for it.

Buck met him halfway as Eddie leaned in and caught the other’s mouth in a fairly chaste kiss. Eddie’s brain was filled with the sensation of Buck’s slightly chapped lips on his as well as Eddie’s jeans beneath one hand and the smooth skin of his neck under the other. It was sweet and tentative and genuine in a way Eddie hadn’t felt in a long time. And it was over too quickly as he pulled back.

Eddie felt a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth like it had been all night long in Buck’s company. Buck was smiling as well and he lifted his hand to smooth over Eddie’s shoulder. They were just sitting there in each other’s space, smiling like idiots, before Buck curled his fingers around the collar of Eddie’s flannel and tugged him in for another kiss. Eddie immediately fell into it and his hand slipped from Buck’s neck to settling around his waist as Buck practically climbed into Eddie’s lap.

It felt like Eddie could hardly keep his hands still as he untucked Buck’s t-shirt and slipped his hand underneath so that he could smooth his hand over the warm skin of Buck’s back. He barely had to press to be able to feel the play of Buck’s muscles underneath his skin as the other shifted in Eddie’s lap. And Buck gave as good as he got as he broke away from Eddie’s mouth to duck his head and press heated kisses against Eddie’s jaw and then down his neck.

“Shit,” Eddie swore fervently as Buck started sucking a mark onto the side of his neck, sending pins and needles coursing over his whole body. “Fuckin’ shit- _Buck_ -” Eddie could feel the sharp curve of Buck’s answering grin against his skin as Buck pulled back. Eddie tugged on Buck’s hair to bring him back towards his mouth so that he could kiss that stupidly smug look right off of Buck’s face. Buck made a soft noise in the back of his throat that pooled hotly in the pit of Eddie’s stomach.

They broke apart, both of them breathing a little harsher than they had been before, before Eddie snapped out of it and cleared his throat. “I- uh…” He felt his cheeks burning hotly and he couldn’t help but feel like a fumbling teenager again.

Buck just nodded though and leaned in to give Eddie one last soft and lingering kiss. “I’ll see you around?” Buck asked and Eddie nodded mutely. Buck slid back into the passenger seat before opening the door and hopping out of the truck. He grabbed his hat from where Eddie had knocked it off his head to get his fingers into those soft curls and shoved it back onto his head.

Buck closed the door decisively. Eddie practically threw his head and whole body back against the seat with a harsh breath before breaking into a huge smile that made his cheeks ache. “You still got it, cowboy,” Eddie laughed at himself before he thumbed at his swollen bottom lip and started up his truck to head back to his motel for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For y'all that don't know, a yuppie (which Buck kind of calls himself in this chapter) is sort of a slang term that people in the South- or at least where I'm from other Southerners correct me if it means something different for y'all- use to describe people that live in cities or suburbs. It's usually like the epitome of stereotypical upper-middleclass people. Think sitcom families that live in the suburbs. Dunno if this explanation made sense but I wasn't sure if using it was going to be confusing or not.  
> Also, slow burn who? I don't know her ;)  
> As always, comment and let me know what you think!  
> -James


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